Just Look at Him
by xMandy24
Summary: Hermione is heartbroken and is avoiding family and friends, immersing herself in her work. Harry is concerned. This is a Harry and Hermione FRIENDSHIP fic, with strong Ron/Hermione. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

The music was pumping hard and Hermione's head was pounding with every drum stoke and every note. She glanced wearily over her surroundings, trying to find a familiar face. She had, after all, been convinced to come out after work by her friends, namely Harry and Ginny. They said they were worried about her, said that she spent too much time '_at work or worrying about work'_. She frowned at this thought, she hated being considered a worrisome, nagging, bookworm and truly after the war she **had** let her hair down. She had joined in with all the celebration rituals, award ceremonies, birthdays and the rest of it, but now her career was flourishing and she couldn't afford to take her eye away from the prize not when it was so within her grasp.

Laws regarding werewolf rights had been passed, laws Hermione had drafted _herself_, laws that meant a different world for the next generation of werewolves and for Teddy. The wizarding world had mixed feeling about this but many were supportive after hearing about Remus and his part in the war. Hermione had come forward with the Wolfsbane potion and the results it achieved, made it so that everyone knew that if it was used properly werewolves really posed little to no danger. She received praise, werewolves were no longer ashamed to walk the streets and purchase the ingredients for wolfsbane, and Hermione was to thank for that. She had been on the cover of all the wizarding newspapers and publications and was penned as the _'Most powerful Witch of all time'_. The article had detailed every part she had to play n Voldemorts defeat; many said it wouldn't have possible without her. It seemed she was receiving more attention than Harry these days, and he wasn't ungrateful for this.

In fact it was this that worried her friends, the constant attention from the press, the pressure on her to change the world and undo all the evil the, once corrupt, ministry had spread. She felt it was possible; felt it was doable; she wanted to change the world. She had finished drafting her house elf treatment laws and it was positive that these would be passed.

"Hello....Hermione??"

She frowned and blinked a few times, looking up into the twinkly green eyes of her best friend. "Oh...hi Harry" She said, although he couldn't hear her over the blaring music but lip read well enough to understand her.

He grinned "Let's go outside" he yelled and pointed to the door.

She smiled gratefully at him and allowed him to tug her arm and direct her through the crowds of staring faces. They eventually made it outside the club where the street was fairly quiet, the door staff had retreated to the inner lobby and the only people outside were cigarette smokers or the odd night clubber leaving to go home early.

"You seemed deep in thought back there..." he began, looking at her with intense eyes. His best friend seemed isolated within herself these past few weeks, always working never socialising.

"Yeah...I know...I was just...just thinking about what my life's become you know?..I mean after the war it was sad and then it was happy, I mean Voldemort was gone...finally and everyone had their lives back...and I... I wasn't bookish, boring Granger anymore....but Harry it cant be like that all the time....you know the law...this world...it needs updating..." She was speaking quickly and rambling, running out of breath she waited to hear what harry would make of her mumbo jumbo.

"After the war...you were carefree....you had hope...you still wanted to change the world but you knew that there was more to life than that. After not knowing if we were gona have a future...you learnt to live for the day...you're reverting back to your old ways now which is fine...its you...you'll always be a bookworm, but where's that hope gone?" He placed an arm around her as she contemplated his words.

What he was saying was true, she had been carefree, and now...well now that wasn't reason to be.

"I can make difference when I'm at work....no one's missing out if I don't get home for dinner....but my staff would miss out if I didn't get to the office" She was staring at the floor as she said this.

"Hey what do you mean? Ginny's always moaning that you don't get home early enough and how she misses having you around for dinner..."

"Really?"

"Yeah! Of course she does....we all miss you...Ginny's your flatmate and she barely sees you, I see you even less than that and Ron....well..." His voice trailed off as he saw her flinch.

"Ron's fine Harry"

His eyes widened "He still misses you...and I know you miss him...listen I didn't want to ask you this...but are you spending so much time are work to...to forget Ron?"

Her head shot around, her hair whipping him in the face "No!" She said a little too fast. She tore her eyes away from his when she caught glance of his amused grin. "Yeah ok maybe"

He was practically triumphant, "I knew it! I was just saying to Ginny that this is how you deal with stuff, you work more and become anti social...I mean more than _usual_"

She glared at him then, and he dropped his level of enthusiasm a few notches.

There was silence after that, both waiting for the other to speak. It was Harry who surprisingly broke the silence. "Listen, I know you love him....you can't avoid him...and the rest of us by working 16 hour shifts...tell him..."

The words struggled to leave her, she felt like something was lodged in her throat preventing her from speaking and she couldn't face looking him in the eye. "it's not that easy....I mean he was on the cover of that magazine..."

Harry let out an amused chortle "Oh yeah 'Playwitch Magazine'...So? What difference does that make?" His face was scrunched up and he looking at her blankly.

She dropped her gaze to the ground again. "It made all the difference...did you **_see_** it?" She practically whispered.

"Well yeah of course I saw it...George thought it was hilarious, he brought 10 copies and plastered them all around the burrow with a sticking charm. Thought he'd embarrass Ron, Molly and Arthur in one fowl swoop!" He laughed seemingly at the memory of it, causing Hermione to release her own giggle imagining the uncomfortable conversation around the dinner table that day at the burrow. His laughter died down and he looked at her again and whispered "Did you see it?"

She blushed but decided that if there was anyone she could be honest with and depend on not to laugh at her, it was Harry. She nodded, bravely looking him in the eye. "I brought a few copies myself" she admitted appearing sheepish.

Harry smiled but said nothing except "Oh"

"Oh shut up Harry!"

"I didn't say anything!" He exclaimed, shrugging with exaggerated movement but his voice was laced with knowing amusement.

She began pacing then, shaking her head at herself, pausing to glare at Harry "....but you're thinking it! I know it's pathetic but I couldn't help it....he...he looked absolutely gorgeous! I mean when did he stop being skinny and awkward?"

"Auror training?" Harry suggested.

"Well whatever it was its done him the world of good, and God Harry its terrifying! I mean I'm still the same bookish dragon I was in Hogwarts and Ron's like this big, gorgeous hunk who..."

"Hunk?" He interjected.

She only responded to this interruption with a severe frown which made him gulp and he had the common sense to look apologetic and allow her to finish.

"...who has his choice from millions of girls...I mean I see them all the time hanging outside the ministry, flocks of them! These girls, they recognise me Harry and they ask me whether he's single and I want to tell them that he's very much involved with me and that they need to keep their horrible little claws off, but I can't can I?"

He looked sadly at her, hearing her voice tremble. He shook his head "No you can't, but you could if you just told him how you feel"

She shook her head furiously "No no Harry because you know he deserves it....gorgeous girls who'll give him all their time and love"

"You're gorgeous too! No one could love him more than you do..."

She seemed fit to burst then and a look of disgust came over her face. "I do a terrible thing Harry, I feel awful for doing it too but I...I can't help it...."

"What?" He was more than curious to know what.

"Well..." she began in a conspiratorial whisper. "these girls...some of them, they give me their floo ID's to pass to Ron, they tell me to tell him to floo call them, anytime...and well I sort of accidentally, on purpose....... lose them...." She said in a hurry.

Harry let out a bellowing laugh "Oh Hermione..." He said in a softer voice once he saw her inner torment. "I would probably do the same if it was Ginny, listen, Ron doesn't go for girls like that anyway!"

"....So he's not seeing anyone then?"

Harry seemed to slump like a deflating balloon, he let out a troubled sigh. "Well...I...he...he..sort of..well...no..." He hesitated.

Hermione huffed "I'm a big girl Harry..."

"Ok...well...he's started seeing someone...she works in the Auror department, assistant to the trainer or something...nice girl...not a bimbo..."

"Oh GOD!" She practically shouted but then composed herself. "No...no I expected this to happen....she probably saw that playwitch cover and developed a crush on him!"

Harry shook his head "No no they knew each other as friends first, they get on....simple as that"

She stared at him in wonder and spoke softly and slowly. "Are you trying to kill me Harry? Him going out with a bimbo is one thing, but it's worse if he actually likes her for her personality!" She began to weep freely then, and Harry was left feeling baffled at the logic of the opposite sex. He awkwardly places an arm around her.

"So...you're upset because he's with someone he genuinely likes and not just some bimbo who wants him for his body?"

"Exactly! Don't you see??" She pleaded to him, wanting desperately for his male mind to comprehend her reasoning. "_This_ has a chance of lasting...!"

Realisation and understanding graced his face and Hermione was relieved that she had gotten through to him.

"Well what are you gona do?"

She seemed stunned at the proposition "Do??! What can I do?!"

"Hermione he's going out with other girls because the woman he really wants spends all her time at work avoiding him!"

"Harry! Hermione!"

They both turned to see Ron smiling happily and walking towards them from the club.

"Hey Ron...we just went to get some fresh air" Harry greeted.

Hermione just stood frozen, this was the first time she had seen Ron in weeks and now here he was interrupting a conversation all about him. She prayed he hadn't heard any of it, and that she didn't still look as if she had been crying and ranting. It took her a minute to realise that both men were staring at her expectantly.

"Huh? What?" She muttered dumbly wanting the ground to swallow her up for not being more articulate.

Ron seemed to be concerned by her reaction and frowned. "Are you Ok?"

She looked to Harry who grinned at her. "I'm fine Ron....are you....ok...I mean...erm....did you come here alone?" she blurted out and berated herself for doing so without tact, but she was curious to know whether he'd brought the girl he was seeing with him.

He seemed confused by her question. "What? Who would I........Oh! you mean Karen...from the Ministry....Harry must have told you..." He paused to turn away from Hermione's view and give Harry a very private but very fierce glare. He turned back to Hermione and reverted back smoothly to his softer self. "....uh actually we aren't really seeing each other anymore...."

"Oh right" She said, trying to sound indifferent, but feeling that she hadn't hidden her glee very well.

They stared at each other for a little longer than necessary before they were interrupted by a shriek.

"**Merlin**...you're not....it can't be!!! Are you Harry Potter!?" Harry nodded sheepishly at the attractive blonde who had been walking past the club with a few other friends.

Her gaze swept over the trio and she stopped at Ron and her excitement reached a new level "Ron...Ron Weasley....you were in that magazine the other week!"

Ron seemed rather disturbed by this acknowledgment and did not know where to look and finally settled on nodding.

"Would you come over to say hi to my friends? Their all huge fans! We all brought a copy each of that magazine" she added, suddenly bashful.

Ron seemed tormented between staying with his friends, and the group of girls waiting expectantly for him. "..........Ermm.." He looked to Harry for assistance who offered no guidance and then to Hermione who was watching him to see what he would do.

"Just go Ron, its fine well meet you inside" Hermione explained softly.

Ron nodded, visibly relieved that he had been given the go ahead and a clear instruction. He shuffled off leaving Hermione and Harry in his wake.

Harry looked to Hermione. "Come on let's go in, he'll only be a few minutes..." He touched her arm, intending to tug her a little as encouragement.

She pulled her arm away, her eyes on Ron with the girls. "I think I'll just go home Harry...I have some amendments to make to my report on..."

"-Hermione!...come on, you know he only went because you told him to!"

"I know Harry, but...I..." She was speechless for a second and her eyes welled up. "I..I'm totally out of my depth Harry.......I mean look at him...."

They watched for a second as Ron made a joke and the girls surrounding him let their heads fall back as they laughed freely. His posture was calm and composed; his body was held confident in a way Hermione never remembered.

She turned quickly and kissed Harry on the cheek and disapparated.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

"Hermione?! Hermione?!" His deep voice was practically making the walls of her modest flat vibrate.

She groaned and rolled around in her bed, picking up her pillow, she laid her head on the cool sheet of her mattress and placed the pillow over her head. She didn't want to face Ron this morning. It was a dreaded Saturday, the weekend, a day off, free time, all things that meant she should be doing something sociable. She hated weekends. Usually she could get away unnoticed at weekends, harry would pop in to see Ginny and they would normally go on a date somewhere. Ron would be working or helping out at the joke shop and she would only see him in the evenings at The Burrow where Molly often invited her to at weekends.

This weekend seemed to be starting differently, her sudden disappearance from the club last night had caused her friends some concern and now they wanted to talk. Hermione was not averse to talking, but there was no way she could look at Ron and squirm under his scrutiny this morning, not after last night.

She was happily ignoring him until her door banged open and Ginny came marching in. "Is there a reason why you're ignoring my brothers floo call?" She asked her voice softening as she saw Hermione's discomfort. "Hermione? I won't let him in; I'm just worried about you."

Hermione sighed and lift the pillow off of her head and turned her head and peered up at Ginny. Ginny just smiled at her, Ron's persistent calls had stopped and Hermione assumed he had simply gotten fed up or getting no response.

"Morning sunshine?" She asked her disgruntled friend, receiving no response, she continued. "Is this about last night?"

"Last night? Did something special last night?" Hermione asked, feigning ignorance with squinted eyes and an expression that was unlike any Ginny had seen Hermione make before. Hermione moved to get out of bed.

Ginny sighed, raking one hard through her sheet of red hair. "Don't play stupid Hermione, it really doesn't suit you"

Hermione didn't flinch at these words, she simply continued about her room, putting on her short blue robe and making her way to her dressing table. She stared at herself in the mirror trying to avoid looking at her waiting friends' reflection. Her shoulders slumped as she realised Ginny wasn't going to leave until she had explained. "Nothing happened last night, I just felt like going home, you know clubbing isn't exactly my thing and...I was bored"

Ginny rolled her eyes and responded simply with "Harry told me what happened".

Hermione's eyes widened a fraction and then she clenched her fists and let out a frustrated shriek "Why must you two discuss me like that?! I left a night club early, it's hardly a crime. Fine...so I left after watching Ron entertains a gaggle of girls...so what?"

"Firstly Harry told me because he was worried, and I live with you so I was the obvious person to tell...secondly give us some credit, it's not leaving the club early that we're worried about, it's the thinking Ron's too good for you or that Ron's gona cop off with some random blonde! Thirdly, from what I've been told Ron wasn't entertaining a 'gaggle' of girls as you so delicately put it, he was saying hi because you told him he could!"

Hermione held her hands up in surrender, "Ok ok fine that's fine, well you don't need to worry ok? I'm fine"

"Really? So what are your plans this weekend?"

Hermione sighed and pretended to be thinking over her extensive plans for the weekend. "Well my parents have invited me to lunch so I'll probably be there for most of the day and into the evening and then I'll come back here and have a glass of wine and go to sleep!"

"Wrong! You're parents are away this weekend on that dentist convention thing? You told me last week, it's on your calendar." She was tapping her foot now waiting to hear what else Hermione would come up with.

Hermione was impressive in that she did not flinch or made any indication of being caught out by Ginny. "Oh of course! Lunch with my parents is next week, well that's fabulous then because I have loads of work to be catching up on so I'll probably just spend my day at the Ministry!"

"Well that's good, because Ron'll be at the Ministry all day doing some extra training, I'll go floo him and tell him to meet you for lunch!" She said brightly, and Hermione found it impossible to tell whether or not she was bluffing. She couldn't risk it either way and stood up and followed her out to the living room.

Ginny was reaching into the floo powder pot and getting ready to throw it and call Ron.

"Ginny wait!"

Ginny stopped, her arm frozen in mid throw action. The smirk on her face was clearly visible.

"You need to stop this craziness Hermione"

Hermione lowered her head in shame; she could feel her cheeks heating up. "I know" she muttered.

She did know, she knew she couldn't spend every free minute at work, she knew that normal people didn't dread weekends and look for ways to avoid seeing their friends. Her own behaviour was baffling to her but she didn't know how to change. The thought of spending time watching Harry and Ginny be the perfect couple and being near Ron but only as a friend, filled her with dread. What filled her with more dread was the thought of Ron talking about some girl he'd met or an owl from said girl being delivered to him in her presence. A vision of rolled up pink parchment, wrapped in shiny silver ribbon, with wafts of some sweet perfume being dropped into Ron's lap frightened her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ginny's arm wrapping around her shoulders, guiding her to the soft cream sofa. "Let's say you and I go shopping? Come on a big girly day shopping for clothes and eating lunch, it's been ages since we did anything together. I've missed you" Ginny's eyes twinkled with an enthusiasm which was infectious and Hermione found herself nodding in agreement.

Suddenly Hermione felt very touched, happy and guilty at the same time. Just because she wanted to avoid Ron she had ended up avoiding Ginny too and really she hadn't meant to do that. "I'd love to Ginny"

Ginny stood up "Great let's get dressed and go, oh by the way Mum invited us all to the burrow for dinner" She began making her way to her room.

Hermione look up from her seat on the sofa "Us? Who do you mean by us?"

Ginny ignored her, walking to her bedroom, humming.

Hermione had forgotten how to have so much fun, at the beginning she had badgered Ginny about who would be attended the Burrow in the evening but she soon found herself laughing and getting excited by all the shops and clothes. Lunch was great and all serious topics were avoided.

By evening time, Hermione had spent hundreds of galleons and felt thoroughly relaxed and calm. They had just dropped into their flat and put their bags away. "Gin, you know I'm absolutely exhausted after that, in fact I feel a headache coming on...I think I'll just stay..."

"- Oh no you don't" Ginny explained and held onto Hermione's arms and before she could utter a word Ginny had apparated them both to The Burrow.

As soon as their feet hit the wooden floors of the Burrow, Hermione wrenched her arm free and crossly stomped away from Ginny who was being greeted by Harry. She made her way to the kitchen to find Molly, Arthur and George all in the middle of various tasks preparing dinner. She breathed a sigh of relief, she'd been in the living room and kitchen and Ron wasn't there, she also couldn't hear him. Sweet relief flooded through her, she wouldn't have to face Ron, wouldn't have to have him look at her and wonder why she had left that night. Maybe he would feel sorry for her and her pathetic life and her complete social ineptness. Either way she didn't want to deal with.

"Hermione" Her heart froze for second on hearing the deep voice, thinking for a split second that it was Ron. She relaxed when her brain registered that it was Harry. She turned to face him and moved out of the kitchen so that they were relatively distanced from the others.

"Hey" She greeted him softly.

"Ginny said you had fun today, heard you made a serious dent in your Gringrotts account" He said with a smile and Hermione was relieved that he didn't immediately reprimand her for leaving last night.

She giggled "yeah it was fun, you were right, I've been neglecting you guys" she stopped noticing her was staring at her expectantly. "What?"

"...And? You also realised something...about Ron?" he asked dragging his words out thinking she would interrupt him with realisation.

"Oh right, that, well no actually harry, I need to sort out my priorities but nothing about the Ron thing has changed ok? I still think he's better off with some gorgeous model type!"

"Oh Ronnie you're finally here! Why are you so late dear? Was it work? I'm going to have to talk to Kingsley about keeping you at the Ministry until such ridiculous hours!" Molly's gushing voice was heard by Hermione and her words struck her like a bullet.

Her eyes widened in horror as Harry watched her amused. "Oh no" she muttered, he was here, oh great.

"Hermione! Glad you're here you know I really would like to know where you ran off the other night, I mean I turned around and you were gone? Harry said you had been feeling sick, is everything alright?" His blue eyes bore into hers imploringly and she felt herself melt.

She felt stupid, all day she had been panicking about seeing Ron, thinking he would have sensed her jealously but here he was the concern for her evident in his eyes. It was after this thought that she realised she still hadn't answered his question and was simply gazing at him like a love sick puppy. Oh God why was she always reduced to an illiterate puddle of goo whenever he was around.

Harry, God love him, must have sensed her discomfort or had watched her acting like a love sick fool and decided to save her. "Yeah well Hermione's still feeling a bit dodgy aren't you?" He was looking at her, urging her to speak.

She only nodded dumbly. Ron smiled, and then lifted a hand to rest on her forehead, "Well you do feel a bit warm"

"Who's warm dear?" Molly's voice trilled as she came into the room, looking over to Hermione she tilted her head sympathetically and held her arm walking her to the kitchen. "Oh Hermione dear you're not ill are you? Honestly, with all those hours your putting in at the Ministry I'm not surprised dear, I mean I know you practically run Magical law but you need to take a break. I'm going to talk to Kingsley..." She rambled on the way she often did and Hermione couldn't help love her for it but felt the same alarming helplessness she always did when Molly fawned over her like this.

She could practically see Harry and Ron grinning at the sense as they watched her walking with Molly. "Honestly Mrs Weasley that really isn't necessary..."

"Hush dear! Don't say another word!"

Hermione felt too helpless to say anything and simply sat at the table as the others began to gather around.

"Ron's the same, always at the Ministry but at least with him dear it's because he's always following some girl around!" Hermione felt her body tense.

Ron glared at his mother angrily "No I don't!"

"Oh of course you don't Ronald! They follow you around! I have to say, after that 'Playwitch' cover....-"

"Mum" His tone had a deadly hint of warning in it, but Molly paid it no attention as she began piling food onto everyone's plates.

"Oh Ron don't be so modest! The amount of fan mail he's been getting! Bags of it! It's all in his old room" She seemed positively thrilled at this, and sat down beaming at him, the pride evident on her face. Her expression then transformed into a frown, "but I don't want all this attention to get to your head Ronald I mean that woman that we caught sneaking out of here this morning, you know I can't condone that sort of behaviour" She continued to speak but Hermione couldn't hear what she was saying.

Molly continued on and did not notice Harry's awkward posture, Ginny's concerned looks towards Hermione, Ron's intense discomfort, or Hermione's heart breaking.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of dinner was an awkward affair; Hermione's body was reacting in a way that was surprising her. Her heart was beating furiously and there was a lump in her throat. Her attempts to appear normal and unaffected were thwarted by her struggle to chew her food which felt like chewing cotton balls. She was having issues with swallowing it and she was receiving worried looks from Ginny and Harry.

Hermione just wished that dinner would be over and she could rush home.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Mrs. Weasley.

"Dessert? Hermione dear?"

"Oh no Mrs. Weasley, I really must be going I've got an early start tomorrow..." she replied standing up, ready to leave.

"Oh well..." Mrs Weasley looked disappointed but then her expression brightened "I know....Ill pack some apple pie for you to take home...just give me a minute dear"

Hermione watched in despair as Mrs Weasley took her time in putting away the dinner things and then informed her that the apple pie needed another 15 minutes in the oven. "I'm just going to wait outside, it's a little hot in here" She addressed the table and left the kitchen trying to avoid looking into anyone's eyes.

She stepped outside and breathed the fresh air deeply; she felt the lump in her throat diminish slightly. Hr mind was free to jumble over the rush of thoughts running through her head. It was now as well as confirmed that Ron was seeing girls, _seeing_ girls, as in _sleeping_ with girls, _shagging_ girls. Who was this girl? Probably there was more than one. She let out a laugh, why was she surprised that Ron was sleeping around with women? Ron was gorgeous, he had been in 'Playwitch' magazine, and all the girls at the Ministry asked after him. Was it really a surprise that Ron had taken one of them up on their offer? She sighed sadly and contemplated her life.

Ginny burst out of the burrow at that moment ruining Hermione's moment of contemplation which was probably a good thing.

"Hermione! It's freezing out here! Come back inside!"

"I think I'm a bit feverish then, because I can't feel it" she replied, shaking her head and trying to avoid her inquisitive glance.

"....look mum doesn't know what she's talking about half the time...."

Hermione waited for her to finish her sentence, but she never did, by the look on Ginny's face it seemed as though even she didn't believe her own words. "Your mother doesn't have hallucinations Ginny, if she says she saw a girl leave Ron's bedroom in the early hours of the morning, then I'm pretty sure that's what happened..." she glared at Ginny, daring her to make another excuse.

Ginny couldn't so looked away and down at the doorstep she was standing on. "Do you want me to kill him? 'coz I would you know? You only have to say the word and I'll throw a hex on-"

Hermione held her hand up to signify silence. "Ginny...its fine, I'm fine, look I know Ron was seeing some girl at the Ministry, he told me they broke up but he was obviously just lying to me....It's not that big a deal Ok?"

"Well you're acting like it's a pretty big deal"

"...It was just a shock, but really I should have expected it. Ron's a man now...in his sexual prime, of course he wants to go out and get laid, what guy doesn't?"

Ginny looked as if she was going to say something but Hermione carried on. "...and who am I to stop him? I mean so what if I've got a little 'thing' for him? It shouldn't stop him from living his life...he's amazing, he deserves all the attention he's getting...he deserves what I cant give him" she finished sadly, her voice contained a deadly tremble which was on the brink of turning into a fully fledged sob.

"Oh Hermione" Ginny said softly, and moved to put her arm around her friends shoulders.

Hermione shook her head and tried to shrug her arm off. "No don't give me sympathy! Its my fault, I read more into the 'thing' we had more than Ron did I guess. It's my own stupid fault!" This time her words were hindered by sobs.

"no, no Hermione you're perceiving this all wrong...Ron does want you" Ginnys voice was laced with deep concern, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Maybe he used to, but were not the same people anymore, hes evolved into a man, and Im the same brainiac I always was"

"He fell in love with that brainiac"

"He never loved me, in fact I'm beginning to question that he had any romantic feelings for me at all...maybe I imagined the whole thing because I wanted him so badly?" She rubbed her hands tiredly over her face. "Is your mum ready with that pie yet? I want to go home"

"I'm coming home too"

"I thought you wanted to stay with harry for a bit longer?"

"Yeah well I'd rather go home with you, I don't want you to be alone, this 'thinking you're not good enough' thing is freaking me out...it's scaring me Hermione"

Hermione looked straight at Ginny surprised "I didn't mean to scare you Gin"

Ginny took Hermones hand in hers and smiled kindly. "Look Hermione, its scaring me because this isn't like you"

If Hermione was honest, she was scaring herself as well. Since the war, she had been busy nonstop, first, with Fred's funeral, then with getting her parents from Australia and then with interviews and starting careers.

For the past 4 months she had been working on drafting the laws for the equal treatment of house elves. She had cocooned herself in work, blocking worries about Ron out and forcing herself to focus on what was in front of her. It was a tactic that had helped her revise when she was in Hogwarts. It was what made her different from everyone else. Other people became distracted by their love lives or daily worries and found it difficult to concentrate. Hermione was the opposite, she could effectively block out her worries as long as she had some work to be getting on with, her mind was powerful, it needed constant stimulation. As long as she kept feeding her hungry mind and keep it occupied, it was unlikely to stray and start thinking about Ron. However since she finished drafting the new legislation her mind was free to roam, it was as if dams had been broken down and all she could do was face the reality.

"Hermione dear? Here's that pie..." Mrs Weasley had her head popping out of the kitchen door, her arm stretched out holding a dish. "Such a shame you have to leave so early, you will try and pop round more often wont you now that works a bit quieter?"

Hermione tried to compose herself a little, Mrs. Weasley could be exceptionally sharp sometimes and Hermione did not want her to catch onto the slight tremble in her voice. "Oh thank you Mrs Weasley, and yes of course I'll try to pop round more often...I'm sorry I haven't been able to much recently"

"I'm going too mum. I...erm...I have a head ache" Ginny explained.

Mrs. Weasley looked bewildered for a moment. "Oh...ok then...I guess it'll just be me and the boys...no doubt they'll be pestering me for more food...well I'll see you girls soon then"

They said their goodbyes and disapparated on the spot. Mrs Weasley entered the Burrow feeling slightly baffled by their hasty exits wondering if it had been something she'd said.


	4. Chapter 4

Ron and Harry spent the rest of the evening at the Burrow, the tension that had been evident at dinner time was absent between the two friends. They sat in a companionable silence watching the TV that Hermione's parents had given to the Weasley family as a Christmas gift last year, a gift the Weasley's had been absolutely intrigued by and Arthur had immediately attempted to disassemble with the intention of 'putting it back together' again.

It was only when an hour had passed by that it occurred to Harry that neither of the girls had returned. He had been concerned by Hermione's behavior since Molly's comment earlier but hadn't known how to broach the subject with Ron.

"So erm…your mum dropped a bit of a bombshell at dinner didn't she?"

Harry could see Ron tense up slightly and unconvincingly try to appear unaffected by the question. He ran a hand through his flop of red hair and stifled a yawn. "What do you mean mate?"

"Well…you know, the whole girls leaving your bedroom thing? It was a bit of a revelation to be honest mate; you never said you were serious with anyone?" He attempted to make eye contact with Ron who was quite obviously avoiding meeting his gaze.

He shrugged his shoulders and peered sheepishly at Harry, meeting his eyes for the first time. "It wasn't anything serious Harry"

"Then what was it?" He was surprised by Ron's straightforward admission; he had anticipated that Ron would be more secretive.

"It was sex Harry, I don't know…what do muggles call it? A one night stand? That's all it was"

If Harry was honest he was quite surprised that Ron was having one night stands. Harry knew Ron better than anyone else, and no matter how other people perceived him, Harry felt Ron held the most traditional ideas about women and romance. His utter conviction that Hermione was a 'Scarlett' woman because of rumors of her seeing Krum and then Harry were just one example. However there were many other times where Harry had seen it. Ron hadn't grown up watching TV and seeing films where more modern attitudes towards dating and sex were widely tolerated. He was traditional in every sense of the word, and yet, here he was admitting to having slept with some girl who he was not even in a relationship with in the Burrow of all places right under his mother's watchful eye. It was almost like he wanted to be caught.

"What do you mean 'that's all it was'?"

"Exactly what I said!" Ron's face was beginning to heat up, and Harry was aware that if he didn't redirect from this chain of questioning, Ron was likely to explode. Despite this awareness Harry soldiered on.

"…But Ron, this is _you_, you're not the type of guy who sees girls as 'just sex', _you're_ the type of guy who would get nervous about shagging his own wife under his mum's roof!"

"God you're painting a really pathetic picture there Harry! Well why don't you tell me what _type_ of guy I am ey?"

Harry considered the question, but found himself spluttering for an answer. In truth Ron had never really had another type of view towards girls. He wasn't like Seamus and Dean who were always eyeing up pretty girls and making rude comments. He didn't flirt with girls or share his fantasies with his friend. As far back as Harry could remember, Ronald Weasley was the kind of boy who was in love with one girl. So eyeing up other girls or saying he would like to shag any of them was out of the question because the girl he was eyeing up and the girl he would really have liked to shag was right there, in his circle of friends.

Ron was staring at him intently, he eventually broke the silence. "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I'm the kind of bloke who was in love with Hermione"

Harry remained silent, he did not wish to confirm nor deny the inevitable truth.

Ron continued. "I'm right aren't I? That's what everyone thought, all through Hogwarts. I was just the pathetic loser who was stuck on one girl who wouldn't give him the light of day". He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs, his palms rubbing his eyes.

For one fleeting moment, Harry thought Ron might be shedding a tear but he released a sigh of relief when Ron looked up dry eyed.

Harry nodded. "Yeah I suppose that's what I did think, but you're acting like it's a bad thing and it's not"

Ron stood up and walked to the mantle and began perusing the many photos that were proudly displayed there. His voice was softer this time around and Harry felt they had moved away from the infamous 'danger zone' that was Ron's brewing temper.

"I never thought much of it in Hogwarts, I was in love with Hermione and that was that. I didn't _want_ any other girl and I didn't have any desire to join in on conversations about who the fittest girls were in the castle. To me, Hermione would always come out number one so I kept quiet. At the beginning it drove me mad, but I was young, I thought I'd grow out of it, stop being so into her." He turned to look at Harry and shrugged. "It just got stronger and stronger, then when it got so strong and I knew, I just _knew _that it wasn't something temporary, I noticed her reciprocating the feelings. You know, during the horcrux hunt. Everything had changed, and I suddenly thought, well actually I _knew_, that she felt similarly. Turns out I didn't know anything at all."

"I don't get what you mean Ron? Nothing's changed since then".

Ron eyes drifted over the various frames and stopped on a photo of the trio, specifically at Hermione's smiling face. "Course it has", his voice was almost hoarse. "…I…I thought something would happen and it never did, and I'm sick of waiting for her and Harry actually I'm sick of feeling this way! I'm sick of being in love with and actually feeling _hopeful_ sometimes when we're together and I feel a little spark, a little something, a moment, and I cling onto that, I have hope that something more will happen. Then two weeks pass and I don't hear from her." His voice was trembling now, and Harry was positive this time that there were tears in Ron's eyes. Through a clenched jaw he continued to speak. "_She_…-" He said almost viciously his eyes darting to Hermione's face in the photo frame, "-…doesn't love me, and she never will, but I can't seem to stop myself from loving her and I hate it Harry, I don't wana feel this way anymore…"

Harry didn't quite know what to say, he had not been expecting that. He slowly started to stand up. "Ron…I…" He paused trying to gather his thoughts and say something remotely helpful, he decided that honesty really was the best policy. "Hermione does love you, but she has reasons…reasons that I don't understand, and they're stopping her from being straight with you"

Ron shook his head, "What's stopping her? Here I am wearing my heart on my sleeve, being available for her, always for her!" he began to pace. "I melt when I see her Harry, it's like she could ask me to do anything and I'd do it, but I'm angry at her too, angry that she doesn't feel the same way".

"…and what are you doing about it? I mean…how is shagging truck loads of random women gona help?"

"I thought it might invoke some other feelings, maybe I'd feel some attraction, or some affection for the women I sleep with, but I don't. I never meant for her to find out".

"Well she has, and I have no doubt that she's heartbroken!"

"Well good! She can finally feel a fraction of what I've had to feel!"

Harry shook his head. "You don't mean that"

Ron groaned in despair. "No! of course I don't…I just…I don't know what to do, I just want to be able to have her and if I can't have her I want to be able to move on, get on with my life, get a girlfriend…be normal…" His voice cracked a little and he finally sat down in a heap.

Harry suddenly felt for his friend. It was true that since the war Ron had been quite obvious with his feelings with Hermione. He would always pop over to her flat and make a fuss of her if she was working too or if she fell ill. He was always proud of her accomplishments, when she was on the cover of the prophet for having her act on werewolf rights passed. Maybe Hermione had failed to notice, there had been stuff going on with her parents and her career. As he watched Ron's despair, Harry hoped that his friends hadn't missed their divine timing altogether.


	5. Chapter 5

Apologies, and thanks to She Potter for the reminder. x

Once Hermione and Ginny had apparated back to their flat, Hermione went straight to her room.

Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes. "Hermione, if you're going sob your heart out at least have the decency to do it in the living room where I can provide some consolation?"

She waited a moment and heard nothing but silence until a creak of a door caused her to turn her head, Hermione stood sheepishly in the door way, tears streaking her face. She shook her head faintly as she walked over the sofa Ginny was occupying. She let out a sigh of her own. "I'm sorry Gin"

Ginny placed her hand over Hermione's, "Don't be sorry, just promise me you're going to stop being so down on yourself, you're gorgeous and smart, you're a war hero, you've got fame and money….." She looked down at her lap thinking that what she had just said made her sound awfully shallow. "Not that those things make you happy, I…I just mean you're forgetting everything you've achieved."

They both jumped when they heard Harry voice, "She's right you know"

Hermione tried to express a smile, it showed up weakly on her face and looked more like a grimace but at least, she thought, she was trying. She nodded resolutely, "what are you doing here Harry?"

Harry feigned a look of hurt "Do I need to have a reason?" what all three of them knew, and what none of them said, was that Harry had come over to check on Hermione and make sure she was OK after Mrs. Weasley's revelation but he didn't want to say so out loud in case of embarrassing her, and Hermione appreciated this fact very much.

Everything went quiet then, the three friends sat in a comfortable silence, both mulling the events of the day in their heads. They could hear the ticking of the clock and hear the buzzing of the magical wards that had been put over their flat to stop any press reporters from intruding. Ginny eventually announced she was going to bed and gave harry a peck on the lips, and Hermione a gentle squeeze on the arm and left for her bedroom. This left Harry and Hermione lounging peacefully on the sofa.

Hermione was the one to break the silence "Harry, there is something I meant to tell you; well I wanted to know what you thought about it anyway…"

Harry opened his eyes at hearing Hermione's voice and was now glancing at her in anticipation.

"I've been promoted….to the magical law department…."

Harry scrunched his face, "you already work for the magical law department"

Hermione smiled at his confusion and continued. "…they've promoted me to be head of the department"

Harry's eyes widened, and his mouth gaped. "Geez Hermione. But…but you're only 23!"

"I know, I'm the youngest person they've ever offered the position to". She couldn't help but sound pleased.

Harry raised his eye brows "So you have accepted the position yet?"

Hermione's face sobered up, there was something in his voice that she couldn't quite recognize but it wasn't the happiness and delight she had expected to hear. "Why aren't you happier for me?"

Harry sat a little straighter and leant forward toward Hermione. "Happy? I am happy, I'm just surprised….its…it's a big responsibility…I know you're 'the smartest witch of your age and everything' but the department heads are normally ancient aren't they? I mean they have tons of knowledge and experience." Harry was looking around the room helplessly trying not to put his foot in it, whilst Hermione just sat looking down hearted. Upon seeing Hermione's demeanor, Harry changed tack and softened his voice and scooted closer to her on the sofa. "I thought you wanted to gain experience before getting a big job like that? That's what your plan was, wasn't it? You said you wanted to climb up the career ladder steadily but not too quick so that you learnt as much as you could. So why are you really doing this?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortable and sniffed. "I never thought I would be offered the role any sooner, now that I have, I would be stupid to say no, think of how much I could do?"

Harry lifted his glass with one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other. Hermione knew he only did this when he was stressed or exasperated. He ignored her question and said simply, "It's going to take over your whole life Hermione, or maybe that's what you want"

"What do you mean" She snapped.

"This is because of Ron isn't it?"

Hermione stood up and glared at him, her hands on her hips.

Harry slowly stood up; he appeared to be unsurprised at her sudden spurt of energy. Looking at her in this pose was so reminiscent of the way she was at Hogwarts, always standing her ground, always ferocious and always versus Ron, always. He missed this Hermione.

He pushed away these thoughts and spoke slowly but each word was laced with a slight tension which Hermione knew meant he was trying very hard to restrain his temper. "What I mean Hermione, is that you are running away from everything, away from Ron, away from all your problems. You think working 18 hour days are going solve everything? You think that isolating yourself more than you already do is going to help you?" The volume of his voice was escalating with each sentence and his face glowed red, the last sentence he shouted out and it was the final blow. "You think that any of this is going to make Ron fall in love with you?"

Hermione was in tears now, "I thought you said he already loved me?" she whispered.

Harry collapsed onto the sofa like a deflated balloon, "he does Hermione, he does…" he said wearily rubbing his face. He was becoming tired of having to convince her of this fact when it was so glaringly obvious to him and everyone else.

Hermione was desperately trying to sniff back her tears, she hated Harry being angry at her. Normally she could stand her ground but in this case, the things he said rang true, although she wasn't about to admit that to him.

"When I take this role I promise not to take over my life….it'll be different" She sounded unconvincing, harry snorted back a disbelieving laugh.

"I don't know who you're trying to convince Hermione, we both know that you're going to shut us all out, including Ron, and you now what? When you finally come to your senses he may not want to know you Hermione! In fact maybe he won't have any time for you like you never had time for him!" His veins were protruding from his neck and he could feel them pulsating. It had been a very long time since he and Hermione had argued and it felt horrible, so horrible that he could not stand it a second longer.

Harry grabbed his jacket and apparated on the spot.

Hermione knew he was going now before he became angrier but she felt frustrated that couldn't question him more. With Harry's words ringing in her ears, Hermione made her way for a restless and troubled sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello, I don't normally write lengthy 'hellos' or intros but I was mortified to see how long its been since I last posted. I have 3 reasons for this:_

_I have been feeling uninspired (but since HP 7 part 2 I'm feeling a little obsessed again)_

_For a few months every time I came on I would get a horrible Trojan virus on my laptop and would have to restore my whole system. I'm pretty sure it was from fanfiction. I have risked coming on here again and so far no virus. ;)_

_I pretty much wrote this story with no idea as to where it was going and pretty much sit in front of the laptop and wing it. This combined with feeling uninspired meant I really had no motivation to write._

_I'm Sorry._

_Enough rambling, here's the next part. I promise it won't be so long for the next part._

Days past and Hermione woke up feeling like she'd never slept. Her eyes felt sore, she lifted her head and winced, lying back onto the pillow. It was Saturday, she'd worked flat out all week, tying up any lose ends and handing over her work to her colleagues before she left to work for Magical Law.

She knew they were more than capable of picking up her work, for her notes had been thorough and she had written precise guidelines and policies from the start but she wanted to be buried within her work, she wanted to block out everything.

When she inhaled the old dusty scent of a tome plucked by her elfin hands from the ministry's impressive library she could drift into timelessness. That's what she had done last night, when everyone had gone home and she felt she had nowhere to go. She went to her old friend and sat amongst the shelves with piles of book, appreciating the eerie calm of her surroundings and the feeling that she was not supposed to be there. When her jaw began to ache from stifling yawns, she had flooed herself to her quiet flat.

Upon her arrival, she pointed her wand wordlessly towards the kitchen and a glass of water poured itself and drifted towards her. Her eyes surveyed the living room as she sipped her water. Their cosy living arrangements showed the remnants of a joyous evening. Harry had been here and even Ron perhaps. Maybe they had waited for her, maybe not. Then she had drifted into bed and fallen asleep immediately.

She must have drifted off to sleep again because the in the next instant she was woken up with a start.

"Hermione?"

It was Rons voice, he was attempting to whisper, but it was still loud and booming to her.

She gasped as she saw him studying her and then suddenly the reality of the situation came crashing down on her. Ron was here, in her room, peering at her whilst she slept in a small pair of shorts and a buttoned flannel shirt. Her cheeks bloomed crimson and she held the covers of the bed close to her as she barked words at him.

"Ron!" It was a questions and a statement tinged with utter mortification. When he just stood there confused by her reaction, she continued. "Leave Ron..." Still nothing, she could see he was trying to stammer out something but she could not wait for his words, could not sit under his piercing gaze. "Now!"

He visible bristled at the sheer aggression in her voice and turned his back on her and march out. He had come because it was a beautiful Saturday morning and he had woken up with her on his mind. All he had wanted to do was to see her and maybe spend the day with her but he knew she would make excuses if he asked, so he'd just shown up. Big mistake.

He knew about the argument between harry and Hermione, he knew about the promotion and despite his anger he had wanted to spend some time with her before she became so buried under with work at the ministry that she forgot to eat. His good intentions were wasted as he was met with hostility. She had treated him like he had broken her heart when the truth was it had been the other way round.

**_Flashback_**

_A few days after the war._

"So...you and Hermione, huh? Finally..." Harry spoke with a mouth stuffed with food. He had not stopped eating since the war ended.

Ron was eating too but for once in his life, much less ferociously. He shrugged although it pained him to do so. "Well sort of...I mean we both want to, it's just I think it's too soon after everything. It feels wrong to be with her and be happy when Fred...well...you know..."

Harry felt like kicking himself, they had been sharing a few moments of lighthearted relief and he had brought up all the pain of the past few days. The Burrow had been full of it. Mr and Mrs Weasley had been silent, retreating to corners of the house and mourning privately.

Ginny had sought comfort in him but also from her brothers. Ron had had Hermione to a certain extent but Hermione had been worried sick about her parents and gone to find them with Kingsley. All in all, the Burrow was a dark and tense place to be, you could feel it in the air, but sometimes if you were still, you could feel something else too. Maybe it was hope and healing, no it was more like a future. Something the trio had been careful to dream about.

Ron especially, he had admitted to himself long ago that Hermione was the one for him. The things they had been through the past 7 years made the thought of beginning a relationship with anyone else laughable.

He'd waited for her to return from Australia and when she did everyones attention turned to her. They had heard from Harry and Ron of all the times Hermiones quick thinking and knowledge had saved their lives.

She had also been on the front page of The Quibbler for surviving the cruicatus curse despite being under it for a record time. It had brought up questions about her brain, people asked whether it had survived the torture unharmed because it was so powerful. Ron knew it was because its possessor was courageous and the most strong minded person he knew.

Hermione received floods of letters from admiring wizards and witches, more than Harry had. Ron was proud, Hermione was bashful. She clung to him in those days, withdrawn and tired, showing life only when Ron held her tight or played with her hair. He was worried her spirit has been stifled by all the darkness. Others noticed too. It wasn't long before his mother was urging Hermione to be checked out at St Mungos.

"Hermione dear, you're body has been under so much stress and you've been exposed to the darkest kind of magic..."

Her response was soft but clear. "I'm fine Mrs Weasley, honestly..."

"Those scars on your neck, if they're causing you pain or-"

Ron had noticed Hermione tense and stare at the floor at these words, hed exchanged a worried glance with Harry.

Harry moved towards Hermione and put an arm around his shoulder. "You should get checked out Hermione, you need to know if there's any damage done or if those scars can be healed. You never know they might flare up if you don't get them looked at"

The silence that followed was filled with anticipation but Hermione neither looked up nor spoke. She just tightened her hold on Ron's hand.

Harry continued regardless, remembering the number of times Hermione had forced him to face the truth. "Hermione...you need to know..."

For some reason this appeared to anger her. She had let go of Ron's hand and pushed Harry's arm off from around her shoulders. She marched out towards the back door, but stopped midway. "I don't need to know anything!"

_**End of flashback**_

He had always looked back at that memory with a certainty that it was that moment he had known that something was happening to Hermione that he couldn't understand. Something, she couldn't understand.

He was woken from his thoughts by his sister.

"Ron? What are you doing standing there?" her nose was scrunched with confusion.

He shook his head and then looked at her with forlorn eyes. "Nothing, I was just leaving"


	7. Chapter 7

The words blurred in front of her eyes, it seemed as if they were dancing across the page, evading her sight, mocking her. She let out a frustrated sigh and pressed a clammy palm against her forehead. She was currently going through a bout of headaches, it was a regular occurrence for her, they lasted a few days and then they calmed. Ever since her torture in Malfoy Manor she had been getting them. At first they occurred every couple of days, eventually they became so painful and distracting for her that she had decided enough was enough and brewed a potion to try and alleviate the pain. It had worked, but was not without its faults, she found if she took it too regularly it made her nauseous. So she only took it when the pain became unbearable.

Right this moment, as she sat at her desk in her new office, the pain was not so bad that she needed her potion. However, it was enough that she couldn't read the lengthy text on the Wizarding Equality Act 1708 but not enough for the potion.

"Hermione?"

For the first time she heard her name, it was soft and hushed through the ringing in her ears. She looked up with wet eyes.

"Harry" She said as a way of greeting and then sat looking at him. His movements were sheepish, hands in pockets, avoiding her unrelenting stare. He was oblivious to the pain she in and her distraction.

"I felt bad...about our argument the other day..." he waited for a response from her but she just looked down at the enormous book on her mahogany desk. He sighed, assuming her silence meant she was still cross with him. He sat in one the shiny patent leather seats positioned at an angle in front of her desk. "I was wrong to have a go like that...I'm happy for you..."

She sniffed and looked up as if hearing him for the first time. "Thank you harry..."

He smiled, he could tell from her voice that she wasn't angry with him and that her forgiveness was sincere. "How about I take you to lunch to celebrate your first day?"

A troubled expression appeared on her face. "What is it?" he asked worriedly.

She shook her head and with immense effort plastered a smile onto her face. "Don't look so worried...I just have a lot of reading to do" she glanced down at the book and tried to appear apologetic.

"You're first day and you're already burying yourself in your work, just like we knew you would...come on Hermione, prove us wrong...take the time to come and have a sandwich with me...you know want to" His voice was a teasing lilt and his eyes twinkled.

His boyish charm was too much for her to resist, and despite her aching head she found it betraying her by nodding, seemingly of its own volition. She got up slowly, careful not to move her head too sharply as that normally sent a pang of pain through it.

Harry appeared pleased at this rare feat. He ushered her out of the office before she could change her mind.

They went to a nearby muggle cafe, they preferred it to the cafes populated by wizards and witches because they seldom got recognised and could eat and talk in peace. It also had the additional benefit of being away from Diagon Alley which meant Weasleys Wizard Weezes was far away and she would have no chance of bumping into Ron who inhabited his brother's shop in his lunch times.

She wondered briefly whether Ron had told Harry about their little disagreement the other day. She decided he probably had and that Harry was just waiting for the right moment to bring it up. She decided to spare him the agro.

"I suppose Ron told you how he turned up in my bedroom the other morning" She said casually as the waitress delivered their sandwiches and tea.

Harry deliberated about whether he should take a huge bite of sandwich in a frantic bide for time. He decided against this plan and thought it better to get it over with. "Yes he did, he's really pissed off Hermione...he only came to see how you were, he felt bad about...well everything...and wanted to spend some time with you before you started the new job"

She felt a pang of guilt pierce her heart like a bolt of lightning; suddenly it was hard to breath as she thought about how she had barked at him to leave. The ache in her head started to pulsate. "I didn't mean to..." her voice trailed off and she suddenly felt unable to continue.

Harry looked exasperated, he sighed deeply "Then why did you?"

Before she could answer the question, there was a loud crash from the kitchen where someone had accidentally dropped a plate or cup. The noise caused Hermione to jump and move her head before she could think. She winced and gasped as sharp pain she had been trying so hard to avoid shot through her head, she pressed her hand to it in a hope to repress it.

Harry's eyes were wide and he looked questioningly at her. "What's wrong?"

Her voice was barely a whisper and it took her a time to answer "No..nothing,,,its just a headache!"

"Just a headache?" He couldn't hide the doubt or concern from the question.

"Yeah honestly its fine...I get them all the time" He eyes were barely open as she spoke and she was cradling her head in her hands, clearly distressed. She was to distracted to realise the vital fact she had just blurted out.

"...All the time?" Harry asked quietly but more to himself. "Exactly how long has this been going on for?" She didn't reply, remaining in her position, struggling to hear him and think straight. "Come on" He said, getting up from him seat and moving to help her stand. "I'm taking you to St Mungos"

She regained her senses enough to extract herself from his arms. "I'm not going there Harry" she whispered.

Harry stopped trying to manoeuvre her and stood still. "Don't argue with me Hermione, for once, will you just listen? You need to get this checked out!"

She looked up then, her chocolate eyes, unusually dark, her skin pale. "I've had it checked out, I've had it all checked out! There's no point in going" She began to pull on her jacket that was set on the chair she had been sitting on and went to move past him to leave.

He was still contemplating her words when she turned around and pleaded. "Please Harry, I don't want anyone knowing about this, it's my business, I'd like to keep it private" She was begging him and he felt he had no choice but to comply, he felt his head nod at her and then lower into his tired hand as he watched her leave.


End file.
